UA Preview

MONDAY, FEB. 3 – SUNDAY, FEB. 9, 2014

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UA PROFESSOR STUDIES EFFECTS OF ALCOHOLIC “CUES” – Feeling the effects of drinking alcohol without drinking? One may not notice it, but the brain and body can experience the same myopic effect – narrowing of attention – of alcohol consumption by simply seeing a photograph of an alcoholic beverage. Dr. Phillip Gable, social psychologist at The University of Alabama, recently completed a study in which electroencephalography (EEG), a recording of the brain’s [spontaneous] electrical activity over a short period of time, was used to measure the processes in the urges to drink in 42 students. Gable said the study is built on other works showing that alcohol cues change the way we think about ourselves, like feeling more attractive or dominant. But Gable’s recent findings illustrate that even the idea of alcohol may change the way we see the world around us. “When people have a strong desire to drink, they tend to focus on the goal to drink (alcohol cues), possibly to the detriment of negative consequences associated with drinking … Over time, the cue itself may change our perception of the world around us,” Gable said. For more information, contact David Miller, media relations, at 205/348-0825 or dcmiller2@ur.ua.edu.

UA CULVERHOUSE ALUMNUS EDWARD K. ALDAG FUNDS BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITION – UA students seeking to start their own businesses now have an opportunity to turn their ideas into reality and receive startup funding. The Edward K. Aldag Jr. $50,000 Business Plan Competition hosted by the Culverhouse College of Commerce will award three students with the winning business plans with startup funding and in–kind services. The competition includes a preliminary round, mentoring session and live finale Thursday, Feb. 27 at The Edge. Judges will select from the initial pool of applicants to move on to a preliminary round that includes a live pitch. Those proceeding to the final round are required to participate in a 10-minute mentoring session and a 15-minute pitch prior to the live finale. The competition is made possible by Culverhouse alumnus Edward K. Aldag Jr., founder and CEO of Medical Properties Trust, Birmingham, and the Culverhouse College of Commerce. For more information visit  http://mycba.ua.edu/businessplan. Contact: Edith Parten, UA media relations, 205/348-8318, eparten@culverhouse.ua.edu

CURRENT COMMENT

WILL INCREASED OLYMPIC COVERAGE BRING INCREASED VIEWERS? – Dr. Andrew Billings, an internationally known scholar on communication and sports, weighs in on NBC’s planned coverage of the 2014 Winter Games: “NBC’s coverage of the Sochi Games will be the most comprehensive for any Winter Olympics by a long shot,” Billings said. “It will be airing more hours than the previous two Olympics (Torino and Vancouver) combined. Moreover, it’ll be the biggest test yet of traditional vs. new media as well as live vs. tape. For non-sports programming, people generally are willing to sacrifice watching something when it airs for watching it when it is convenient.  With sports—and especially the Olympics—people have vocally claimed they desire the opposite, opting for live programming over when it is convenient. Given that NBC will stream everything but the Opening and Closing Ceremonies live via various Internet platforms, such a postulate is really put to the test. Will people seek out live coverage of alpine skiing at 6 a.m. or prefer to wait for the taped coverage in prime-time that evening? London seemingly proved that people would tune in even if they already heard the results on social and mobile media, but will that hold true for the Winter Games with an even larger time zone difference?” Contact: Dr. Andrew Billings, Ronald Reagan Endowed Chair in Broadcasting, department of telecommunication and film, 205/348-8658, acbillings@ua.edu.

UA EXPERT COMMENTS ON THE SIGNIFICANCE OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH – Dr. Utz McKnight, chair of UA’s gender and race studies department, says, “African-American History Month is an important time to reflect on the role African-Americans have had in the society throughout the history of the United States. As explorers, settlers, slaves, laborers, businessmen, church members, doctors, and lawyers, African Americans have been a part of the building of this democracy, an important element in the fabric of the nation. By celebrating the contributions of this group of Americans for the month of February each year, as a society we recognize the importance of the civil rights movement and the social progress it ushered in for all Americans.” Contact Dr. Utz McKnight, umcknight@as.ua.edu

UA EXPERT TIPS

UA MATTERS: PROTECTING YOURSELF AGAINST IDENTITY THEFT – Identity theft is the most prevalent white collar crime in the United States today. The University of Alabama’s Caroline Fulmer helps consumers understand how it occurs, the steps that can be taken to minimize the chances of being a victim and where to get help if you are a victim, http://uanews.ua.edu/2014/02/ua-matters-protecting-yourself-against-identity-theft/. Contact: UA Media Relations, 205/348-5320.

UA’S HEALTH CORNER PROVIDES PRACTICAL HEALTH TIPS – Dr. Karen Burgess discusses asthma in children in the latest video in UA’s Health Corner, http://vimeo.com/album/2551337/video/84696078. The video series addresses health topics and provides practical advice and guidance from UA’s expert sources and physicians in the College of Community Health Sciences. A new video topic posts every Wednesday morning. Contact: UA Media Relations, 205/348-5320.

EVENTS

AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH EVENTS – UA’s Crossroads Community Center invites the UA campus and community to participate in African-American History Month events throughout February. This year’s campus celebration promotes recognition of the contributions of African-American culture to area communities and the nation. It will highlight moments in African-American history and the ongoing impact of the African-American experience. Events include tours celebrating the civil rights history of UA as well as lectures, exhibits and events. Go to http://uanews.ua.edu/2014/02/ua-celebrates-2014-african-american-history-month-with-tours-events/ for a list of upcoming events. Contact: Richard LeComte, 205/348-3782, rllecomte@ur.ua.edu.

JOURNALISM DEPARTMENT HONORS LONGTIME REPORTER – The University of Alabama journalism department and the College of Communication and Information Sciences will present the Clarence Cason Award in Nonfiction Writing to longtime Birmingham News reporter Frank Sikora at a luncheon on Feb. 7. Sikora will be honored for his long-form nonfiction writing. Tickets to the luncheon, which will be held at 11:30 a.m. at the Hotel Capstone, may be purchased by calling 205/348-4787 by Jan. 31. Sikora, along with Nathan Turner, the first black undergraduate journalism major at UA, will also give a free public address 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 6 in Reese Phifer room 216. Contact: Dr. Wilson Lowrey, journalism department chair, 205/348-8608.

MENTAL HEALTH MONOLOGUES SET FOR THURSDAY – Those grappling with depression or other mental health issues may not always feel comfortable sharing their stories, despite the therapeutic benefits some often receive. For the fourth consecutive year, Mental Health Monologues will allow people to share first-hand experiences with mental health through student actors. At 7 p.m. Thursday in the Ferguson Center Theater at The University of Alabama, the actors will read from anonymous essay submissions in a staged performance. The monologues will be followed by a “talk back” Q-and-A session in which audience members can ask questions of the cast, directors and mental health professionals from the UA Counseling Center. Admission is free for students, faculty and staff with a campus ID; community members are encouraged to donate $5, but the donation isn’t required for attendance. Contact David Miller, media relations, at 205/348-0825 or dcmiller2@ur.ua.edu.

EXHIBIT EXPLORES SLAVERY’S PAST AT UA – An exhibit of materials related to the University of Alabama’s history with slavery is on display in UA’s Gorgas Library. The display, which opens Feb. 3 and closes in early March, is based on work by UA senior Benjamin Flax, who is researching UA’s ties to slavery as part of an independent research project supervised by history professor Dr. Josh Rothman, director of UA’s Summersell Center for the Study of the South. The display will be exhibited in the Gorgas Library in the Williams Americana Collection. Contact: Bobby Mathews, media relations, 205/348-4956.

UA INVITES FAMILIES TO TAKE A ‘TRIP AROUND THE WORLD’ – UA’s third annual Hands-On Family Night will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8, at Smith Hall. This year’s theme is a “Trip Around the World at Smith Hall.” Participants will receive a passport that will take them around the “University World” to visit booths from several graduate departments. The program is a collaborative effort between UA’s Graduate Student Association, the Graduate School, Graduate Parent Support and the Alabama Museum of Natural History. The free event also includes food and door prizes. Contact: Cori Perdue, 205/348-2118, cperdue@ua.edu.

LOOKING AHEAD

UA SPEAKER TO ADDRESS OVERLOOKED ASPECT OF SCOTTSBORO BOYS TRIAL – Linguist, poet, literary critic, and composition and rhetoric scholar Keith Gilyard is scheduled to visit UA Feb. 10-11 as this year’s Bynum spring speaker. Gilyard received his MFA from Columbia and his doctorate from NYU, and his research interests include linguistic diversity, cultural identity, critical literacy, writing instruction, literary texts, and popular culture. Gilyard will give a talk titled “A Life of Struggle: The Case of Louise Thompson Patterson” on Monday, Feb. 10, at 5 p.m. in Ten Hoor 125. His talk will focus on activist Louise Thompson Patterson, a figure who has often been overlooked despite her work on the Scottsboro Case and with Sojourners for Truth and Justice. Contact Bobby Mathews, media relations, 205/348-4956.

NIGHT OF THE VIOLA – UA’s Sonic Frontiers Series presents violists LaDonna Smith, Jessica Pavone and Wendy Richman in a concert at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 10, in the Bama Theatre’s Greensboro Room, 600 Greensboro Ave. This free concert features three world-class performers of the viola, an often misunderstood “workhorse” instrument of the orchestra. The program is titled “Three Views of Viola.” Contact: Dr. Andrew Raffo Dewar, assistant professor of New College and music, adewar@ua.edu, 205/348-9928